Could another prominent member of the Broncos' offense be headed for Chicago?

The Chicago Bears, in need of a head coach after firing Lovie Smith on Monday morning, have asked permission from the Broncos to interview offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, according to an NFL source.

The Bears' offense is currently led on the field by quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall and includes quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.

Cutler, Marshall and Bates all worked together with the Broncos in 2007-08. McCoy did not join the Broncos' staff until 2009. He had a couple weeks of offseason meetings with Cutler, but the quarterback would be traded to Chicago that March after a personality conflict with new head coach Josh McDaniels.

McCoy figures to be a head-coach candidate for several teams because of how he led the run-oriented Tim Tebow offense to the AFC West title in 2011 and the pass-heavy Peyton Manning offense to the No. 1 playoff seed this season.

Regardless of whether McCoy, 40, reaches an agreement on head-coach job with another team, he will finish as the Broncos' offensive coordinator through the postseason.

“San Diego is the job everyone wants. It’s a great place to live. The Spanos family has been around a long time. They don’t fly by the seat of their pants. They’re one of the good-guy owners in the league. They get it. It’s a coveted place to be.”